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What Happened Last Week and What It Means to You: July 8th, 2022

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Week Ending July 8th, 2022

Nonfarm payrolls…

Increased 372,000 in June. beating the consensus expected 265,000.
What does it mean – Overall, good news and really strong numbers for the economy. Payroll gains grew by 539,000 per month in Q1 and 375,000 per month in Q2. The big issue is the participation levels continue to fall.

Wage earners or the labor force dropped 353,000 in June…

While unemployment remains at 3.6%, we continue to see the participation rate fall.
What does it mean – Expect the trend to continue as more baby boomers start to retire and the gig economy (Uber, Lyft, Door Dash and Grub Hub) continues to struggle due to high gas prices. Unemployment remained at a low 3.6%, the participation rate (the share of adults who are either working or looking for work) slipped to 62.2% from a prior 62.3%.

Civilian employment declines…

Civilian employment, an alternative measure of jobs that includes small-business start-ups.
What does it mean – Down 315,000 in June. While not often spoken about, small business start ups are the life blood of our economy. Policy that helps or hurts risk takers ultimately finds its way into the economy.

Remember, big businesses love barriers to entry and while they will speak out against regulations, they often are backing regulations if it helps build a moat around their business. President Eisenhower warned us about the unholy alliance between government and big business when he delivered his speech about the military-industrial complex. He worried about, “The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every state house, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.”

It is that very behavior we are faced with in several other industries. A perfect example of this today is Facebook and Twitter going to Washington and asking for more regulation on free speech on the internet. Another would be the pharmaceutical industry. It takes $ hundreds of millions to get a drug to the market. Due to this high cost and rightfully so, many startups are acquired or fail before their product ever sees the market.

I am not against regulations. We need to protect our citizenry against the temptation that comes from a close relationship between government and private industry. I am merely pointing out the heavy hand of regulations and its cost on society. Free speech, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, etc. All are seeing the high cost associated with the increase of government intervention. And in some cases, like the drug industry, the very bureaucracies (CDC and FDA) and unelected employees of our government who are hired to safeguard society are being rewarded in sharing of the fees from patents in the drug industry. Our elected leaders influenced by K Street and the lobbyists. You might even call it bribery. We should all be asking ourselves, who actually has our best interest at hand? Simply put, is the fox guarding the hen house? Is there an unholy alliance between big business and government that is hurting business creation? Or are we a society that has matured and become apathetic and more risk adverse.

Housing…

Sellers start to drop prices
What does it mean – from the chart below, Redfin did not give us the data from 2008 to 2012, but I have to believe we are going to see similar data as the fed will continue to raise rates to fight of inflation which is eating folks out of house and home.

Welcome home…

US continues to see more and more companies returning to America.
What does it mean – Check out the chart below. The American dream is real. Businesses recognize the value of the rule of law, intellectual property protection, a healthy job market and an at will employment vs. mandates. They are seeking talented, educated work force that is motivated. And finally, a low corporate tax rate.

If Governor Newsom helped businesses, lowered taxes in CA, reduced and eliminated burdensome regulation on everything businesses build, makes, or grows. Enforces the rule of law, he would not have to run silly adds in FL attacking a governor who gets it and is open for business. Poor CA. It was not long ago we were the envy of the nation.

Could you imagine seeing 150 companies come back to CA from FL and TX.
Reminds me of the old Beach Boys song, California Dreaming. Enjoy the song. Let’s keep making every day the very best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBHz_V59RpM

Let’s roll America,

Doug De Groote, CFP®, MBA, CTC
Managing Director

805.230.0111 Main
800.984.3302
818.642.9789 Cell
805.230.0061 Fax
2660 Townsgate Rd Suite 450
Westlake Village, CA 91361
doug@degrootefinancial.com
www.degrootefinancial.com
www.lw4ip.com
De Groote Financial Group, LLC is a federally registered investment adviser that maintains a principal office in the State of California. The information contained in this message is confidential, protected from disclosure and may be legally privileged. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, distribution, copying, or any action taken or action omitted in reliance on it, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and destroy the material in its entirety, whether in electronic or hard copy format.

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Jeannie Ewing-Nicholson

Operations Manager

Jeannie started her career in the Financial Services industry in 1994 with Oppenheimer & Company. As part of the De Groote Financial Group, Jeannie is responsible for the operational needs of the firm including cash management and account administration. With her upbeat attitude and attention to detail, Jeannie provides an efficient streamlines experience to ensure clients meet their goals. Jeannie enjoys travel, outdoor activities, Pilates, and is a football and basketball fan. She resides in Westlake Village with her husband, daughter and son.

Mary-Ellen Lykken

Executive Assistant

Mary-Ellen, Executive Assistant at DFG, keeps the office running smoothly by providing administrative support and assisting with scheduling and organization. With a background in human resource and office management, Mary-Ellen comes from the non-profit and services industries.

Outside of the office, Mary-Ellen is committed to the advancement of independence and productivity for those with disabilities. By telling her story of the challenges and joys of raising a child with complicated disabilities, she hopes to help others navigate similar circumstances.

She is happiest when visiting her two grown sons. Otherwise, you can find her competing on the pickleball courts.

Sara Mariniello

Operations Manager

Sara is new to the financial industry only starting in 2022 when she was hired at De Groote Financial. As Operations Manager, Sara is responsible for all the paperwork surrounding opening accounts and investment paperwork and is also responsible for much of the client communication. Sara has her bachelor’s in science and nursing from Concordia University, Texas and worked as nurse for over a year prior to moving back to California. She loves all things sports and church related and is likely spending every free moment with her Husband visiting family in Texas and New Jersey.

Fadi Ahmed

Chief Operations Officer and Chief Compliance Officer

Fadi works with clients to ensure an exceptional experience. He coordinates and assures the planning process and wealth management tools are at your fingertips to provide the clarity you deserve and the transparency and access to all your accounts. Fadi ensures the data and information is reflective in our planning software. All changes and updates flow through his desk and he coordinates those changes with the rest of our team.

Andrew Krout

Wealth Advisor, Co-Chief Investment Officer

Andrew Krout is a Wealth Advisor at De Groote Financial Group, LLC. He also serves as a Co-Chief Investment Officer for the firm, focused on wealth management.

Previously, Andrew served as CIO with Kelly Financial in Boston Massachusetts since 2013. He is a licensed investment advisor representative and insurance producer. He graduated from Saint Francis University with a bachelor’s degree in both finance and accounting. He is a candidate for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. Andrew holds life insurance licenses in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Andrew is passionate about serving his clients and investment management and how to apply news and current events to investment decisions. He played Division 1 golf in college, and still enjoys playing and watching the sport in his free time.

David Darst

Co-Chief Information Officer

David Martin Darst, CFA is an Investment Advisor to DeGroote Financial Group, specializing in asset allocation and product selection. Previously, David served for 17 years as a Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, with the responsibility for Asset Allocation and Investment Strategy. He joined Morgan Stanley in 1996 from Goldman Sachs, where he held Senior Management Posts within the Equities Division and earlier, for six years as Resident Manager of their Private Bank in Zurich.

David is the author of 13 books, including bestsellers The Art of Asset Allocation, 2nd Edition (McGraw-Hill), and The Little Book that Still Saves Your Assets (John Wiley & Sons). He also appears as a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, FOX, PBS, and others, and has contributed articles across a variety of publications.

David graduated with a BA in Economics from Yale University, and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has lectured extensively at Wharton, Columbia, INSEAD, and New York University Business Schools, and for nine years, David served as a visiting member at Yale College, Yale School of Management, and Harvard Business School. He is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts and the CFA Institute. 

Doug De Groote

Managing Director

Doug is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) with an MBA in Financial Planning, and is an active member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). Before establishing De Groote Financial Group, Doug founded the United Wealth Management division of United Capital. Prior to that, Doug was a partner at Crowell, Weedon and Co. He regularly contributes to a variety of financial and general media.

Doug’s passion, and what he believes, is that everyone deserves the opportunity; they deserve to have the freedom and responsibility to be pro-active in achieving independence and financial success.

Doug’s life is focused around his family, wife and three children, and making sure they get the foundation that is necessary for them to have the awareness of the opportunities that abound in our great country.

Doug helps increase his client’s awareness and success, to identify and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves and help protect them from some of the pitfalls or obstacles that are thrown in our paths. With regards to their financial circumstances, Doug helps his clients identify their goals, plan for various outcomes and manage their assets to help them make their vision a reality.